From WorldCantWait.org, 1/21/07:
The Bush regime has been orchestrating bullying moves and deliberate provocations against Iran over the past several weeks. These moves threaten to significantly escalate and expand the horrific and completely unjust wars the United States is already waging in the Middle East. Bush and others in the ruling circles of this country see the current situation in Iran as a serious impediment to their ability to gain control over and impose a sort of imperial dominion upon the entire Middle East, which in turn is a central part of their drive to reshape the entire planet within the grip of their chokehold. How the U.S. acts against Iran in the coming weeks and months could go a very long way in shaping what the world will look like for a long time to come.
There are many factors and conflicts that will influence the decisions made by Bush and his entourage about how they will act against Iran. There is intense struggle within the political and military leadership of this country about how to move ahead in this situation. The stakes are very high indeed. From the perspective of this country’s political leadership, there is not only the potential to gain much; there is the potential to lose catastrophically.
But three things must be kept in mind. One is that, in the face of opposition in this country and throughout the world, Bush and Co. are leading the world on a path to renewed and intensified war. In his recent televised speech Bush called for expanding the number of US troops in Iraq and removing the so-called “restraints” on the troops there, and he issued threatening warnings to Iran and Syria. In short, he intends to escalate and expand the war, and to utilize every savage weapon at the control of the U.S. military in doing so. But events could quickly spin out of anyone’s control. As retired Army colonel Sam Gardiner recently wrote about Iran and Bush’s threats to expand the war to Iran, “the fuel for a fire is in place; all we need is a spark”.
Second is that if they are able to go ahead with all these threats and escalations, in whatever form, it will be horribly bad for people in Iraq, in the entire Middle East, in this country, and in fact everywhere in this world.
|
|
And third is that without a significant escalation in political resistance and opposition to Bush’s wars and threatened wars that actually aims at stopping them and changing the entire course Bush and his regime are bludgeoning along, whatever moves his administration makes will be disastrous for people in this country and throughout the world. The days and weeks ahead must be filled with massive outpourings of political opposition to the existing and threatened wars.
Very ominous developments have already begun to expand the war. The Bush administration is squeezing Iran militarily, diplomatically, and financially, and working to build public opinion to portray itself as being somehow victimized by “Iranian aggression”. The Associated Press reported on January 18 that “Defense Secretary Robert Gates met with senior U.S. and coalition naval commanders Thursday to plan operations in the Persian Gulf, including the arrival next month of another U.S. aircraft carrier and more Patriot missiles meant in part as a warning to Iran.” The AP also quotes a British Royal Navy officer who is second in command for naval forces of the US/British coalition in the Persian Gulf area who said of the carrier’s impending arrival, “I’m sure there’s a message there for Iran”.
American military forces, accompanied by assault helicopters, attacked an Iranian consulate in the northern Iraqi city of Arbil on January 10. They arrested 5 Iranians working in the consulate, and confiscated computer equipment and documents, while other forces sealed off the area (Middle East News, 1/11/07). This was no maverick operation by out of control soldiers. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said in December that American raids against Iranians in Iraq was “authorized under an order that President Bush decided to issue several months ago to undertake a broad military offensive against Iranian operatives in the country” (NY Times, 1/13/07).
One of the more brazen statements Bush has ever uttered came on December 15, when he met with Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi. Bush growled that the U.S. “will continue to make it clear to both Syria and Iran ” that meddling in the internal affairs of Iraq is not in their interests”. Apparently, Bush doesn’t consider that invading a country, overthrowing its government, orchestrating the execution of its former leader, and establishing a military occupation constitute “meddling” – as long as it done by the U.S.
Condoleezza Rice was recently interviewed on NBC’s Today Show by Matt Lauer. Lauer asked her if attacks on Iran and Syria were “on the table”. Rice replied “Matt, obviously the President is not going to take options off the table”. The meaning of “all options” being “on the table” is that the Bush Regime is at least threatening the use of nuclear weapons against Iran. She continued, “The Iranians need to know, and the Syrians need to know, that the United States is not finding it acceptable and is not going to simply tolerate their activities to try and harm our forces or destabilize Iraq”. On January 14, Bush’s National Security Advisor, Stephen Hadley, said that “We are going to need to deal with what Iran is doing inside Iraq”, and Dick Cheney claimed that Iran is “fishing in troubled waters”.
It would be hard to imagine one country “destabilizing” another more thoroughly than the United States has done to Iraq. Hundreds of thousands of people have died as a result of the U.S. invasion and occupation, and the infrastructure and economy of the country have been pounded. Recently a group of 100 prominent British doctors signed a letter sent to British Prime Minister Tony Blair stating that children are dying by the “hundreds” in Iraq because of the lack of basic medical care systematically denied them by the U.S. and Britain. The doctors” letter emphatically points out that this constitutes a violation of the Geneva Convention by the US and England, since occupying powers are supposed to “protect human life”.
Now Bush is threatening, and laying the groundwork for, much more of the same. This is intolerable, and must be met with political outpourings that dramatically transform the political terrain in this country, and are felt throughout the world. How the people in this country respond will be crucial. On CBS recently, Bush declared that despite opposition to his announcement to send more troops to Iraq and to threaten Iran, “I”ve made my decision, and we”re going forward.” Waiting for Congressional Democrats to curtail funding won’t do. Waiting for the 2008 elections is tantamount to aiding and abetting the crimes of the Bush regime. Now is the time to act with determination, creativity, and relentless tenacity to stop the monstrous crimes of the Bush Regime that are being committed in our name, and to mount a massive political movement that forces Bush from power.
Sources: